Sources: No change in visa rules for Palestinians

Cairo International Airport A source in Cairo International Airport has told Arabstoday that reported changes in immigration rules for Palestinians travelling to Egypt were "completely untrue". The Associated Press had quoted Egyptian officials saying Monday that Palestinians will no longer need visas to enter the country, ending part of a five-year blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Reports also said that those who violated rules "would not be deported to Gaza".
The source in Cairo however said the usual procedures would be applied: "The best proof is the presence of three Palestinians detained at Passport Control, waiting to be deported to the Rafah border crossing."  
Maher Abu Sabha, General Director of Crossings and Borders in Gaza, also denied the reports.
"I wish it were true but it's not...plus, a few days ago, some young citizens were deported to Palestine, so that's proof enough of the fact that nothing's changed," he said.
Another source in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Palestinians travelling to Cairo would still be subject to visa rules and security checks, with required documents processed by the respective embassies.
A Palestinian source who wished to remain anonymous told Arabstoday that he left Cairo Monday morning and presented a visa at Cairo Airport, as per Egyptian regulations.
The head of the Institute for Palestine Studies in Cairo, Ibrahim Aldrawi , said that he didn’t issue any decree to stop issuing visas and security clearance to Palestinians.
"The only 'instructions' we've had were to treat Palestinians arriving here in a decent, respectful way...there was nothing visa-related," he said.
"This 'news' has been fabricated...Palestinians are subjected to strict visa procedures as per Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad."
Earlier reports said that the "change" in rules meant Gazans would be able to leave the coastal enclave freely. The decision reportedly also applied to Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Officials at Cairo's airport said they have received instructions to allow Palestinians of all ages to enter Egypt without any procedural impediments.
Deportation rulings for Gazans in Egypt were also canceled, sources told AP. Security sources told Ma’an that Egyptian authorities were worried about opening the Rafah crossing for Palestinians due to the unstable security situation in the Sinai peninsula.
Earlier reports which spoke about the lifting of the visa requirement cited the case of seven Palestinians who were allowed to freely enter Egypt after being briefly detained over document irregularities.
No formal announcement was made by Egypt's government.
In March, a spokesman for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood said that opening the border with Gaza was a priority for the group.
"I want the crossing to open completely, so that whoever wants to travel from Gaza can come to Egypt," said Mahmoud Ghozlan.
"We support opening the crossing for import and export."
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's Gaza government said recently that he was confident Egypt's new president Mohammed Morsi would shield the coastal enclave from Israeli attack and fully open its borders to end a trade blockade.
The Gazan Islamists long complained that his predecessor Hosni Mubarak, ousted from power last year in a popular revolt, sided not just with Israel, but also with their political rival -- President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement.
Israel tightened a land and sea blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas took control of the coastal strip, restricting the movement of goods and the 1.7 million residents out of the 360 square kilometre territory.